Podcast Summary: Stuff You Missed in History Class – “Samuel Pepys”
Podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class
Hosts: Holly Fry & Tracy V. Wilson
Original Air Date: May 29, 2019 (rebroadcast Feb. 7, 2026)
Episode Theme: An in-depth exploration of the life, diaries, and times of Samuel Pepys—one of the most famous diarists and a key eyewitness to 17th-century London’s extraordinary events.
Overview
This episode delves into Samuel Pepys’ life, focusing on both his historical importance and the quirky, personal details preserved in his legendary diary. Holly and Tracy unravel the man behind the writing—his relationships, career, scandals, and the immense value of his firsthand account of tumultuous events such as the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Who Was Samuel Pepys?
- Background: Born February 23, 1633, in London, to a tailor and a butcher's daughter—humble origins (05:39).
- Education: Attended Huntingdon Grammar School, St. Paul’s School, and Cambridge. He forged connections, such as a lifelong friendship with John Dryden (05:59).
- Vital Patron: His cousin, Edward Montague (later Earl of Sandwich), plays a crucial role in Pepys’ ascent (06:17).
2. Personal Life & Marriage
- Romantic Beginnings: Marries Elizabeth Samichel for love, not money, when she was 14 and he was 22 (06:37-06:58).
- Hardships: Both faced serious health issues early in marriage; Samuel with bladder stones, Elizabeth with unspecified gynecological problems. Their relationship was tumultuous—marked by volatility, deep affection, jealousy, and frequent quarrels (07:26-08:30).
Notable Quote:
"In spite of their feelings for one another… their marriage got off to a really rocky start. Elizabeth had some sort of recurring persistent gynecological problem and Samuel was in a lot of pain due to stones in his bladder… their physical relationship was difficult and probably painful for both of them."
— Holly Fry (07:26)
3. Health Struggles and Lithotomy
- Surgery Detail: Underwent a dangerous bladder stone operation in 1658, which he survived—almost miraculously—given the lack of anesthesia and sterile tools (09:05).
- Aftereffects: Speculation about his inability to have children being linked to the surgery (09:43).
Notable Quote:
"A surgeon named Thomas Hollier removed a stone that measured about 2 inches in diameter, which Samuel kept in a specially made case to show to people afterward."
— Tracy V. Wilson (09:05)
4. Rise as a Naval Administrator
- Historic Context: Pepys witnesses the restoration of Charles II (10:27-12:32), thanks to the interwoven fates of political power and family ties.
- Career Launch: Appointed Clerk of the Acts at the Navy Board; earns a salary, a house, and a lifelong career despite zero naval knowledge at first (16:50-17:28).
- Learning & Reform: Invests in education (hiring a math tutor), immersing himself in operations; becomes known for rooting out inefficiency and corruption (18:08).
Notable Quote:
"He got to work trying to close that gap as much as he could… Soon he stopped following the lead of the more senior board members and started trying to make things more efficient and orderly, which really drew the ire of some of his colleagues."
— Holly Fry (18:08)
5. Catastrophes of the 1660s: Plague and Fire
- Eyewitness Accounts: Pepys documents the Great Plague of London (1665) and the Great Fire (1666), offering granular details and candid personal emotions (19:13-20:44).
- Emotional Toll: Profound impact on Pepys’ psyche—recurring nightmares and fears after the Fire.
Notable Quotes:
"On August 31, he wrote, 'In the city died this week 7,496 and all of them 6,102 of the plague.'"
— Tracy V. Wilson (19:42)
"I did within these six days see smoke still remaining of the late fire in the city… I cannot sleep at night without great terrors of fire."
— Holly Fry [quoting Pepys] (20:44)
6. Scandals, Affairs, and Pepys’ Flawed Character
- Infidelity: Regularly unfaithful to Elizabeth—affairs with household staff, friends’ wives, and more are chronicled in his own diaries. Sometimes unwanted advances; sometimes mutual (22:55-24:59).
- Consequence: Elizabeth discovers one affair; drama and tension ensue, but Pepys still seeks further dalliances.
Memorable Diary Excerpt:
"I did labor to take by the hand and the body, but she would not… she took pins out to prick me… I did forbear, and was glad I did spy her design."
— Samuel Pepys, as quoted by Holly Fry (24:00)
7. Declining Eyesight & the Last Diary Entry
- End of the Journal: Fears blindness, ends diary on May 31, 1669, resigning himself to “see myself go into my grave” (25:30).
- Elizabeth’s Death: She dies of a fever later that year, at age 29; Pepys never remarries but has a long-term companion afterward (26:32-26:57).
Notable Quote:
"…almost as much as to see myself go into my grave, for which and all the discomforts that will accompany my being blind, the good God prepare me."
— Samuel Pepys (25:30)
8. Later Career and Legacy
- Political & Professional Ups/Downs: Accusations of secret Catholicism (“crypto-papist”); imprisonment and release; returns to Admiralty; helps publish Newton’s Principia Mathematica (27:47-31:21), but uses up Royal Society’s budget on an illustrated fish guide (31:21).
- Impact: Major reforms and strengthening of the Royal Navy, twice in his career.
- Retirement: After the Glorious Revolution (1688), is purged from office and spends his later years focusing on reading, collecting, and curating a massive personal library (32:24-33:12).
Notable Quote:
"He left his 3,000 volume library to Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge, with the stipulation that they be kept separate from the rest of the college's collection. Today those are housed as Pepys Library."
— Tracy V. Wilson (32:48)
9. The Diary’s Afterlife
- Rediscovery: Diary written in Thomas Shelton’s shorthand; mistaken as “code” until the 19th century (34:02-34:35).
- Editions: Early versions were severely censored; complete unexpurgated editions only emerged 1970–1983 (35:05-36:02).
- Rich Detail: The diaries offer much more than just records of great events—they reveal vivid, everyday life, Pepys’ humor, foibles, and even mundane irritations.
Memorable Quotes from Pepys’ Diary:
"…we saw Midsummer Night's Dream, which I had never seen before, nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid, ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life."
— Samuel Pepys (37:19)
"A dog that the king loved, which [defecated] the boat, which made us laugh, which made me think that a king and all that belong to him are but just as others are."
— Samuel Pepys (36:58)
10. Where to Read More
- Online Access: Most of Pepys’ diary is available to read online, with daily entries and community annotations at peepsdiary.com and older editions on Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive.
- Heads Up: The most explicit portions are still generally left out of public domain editions (38:21-38:44).
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Early Life & Marriage: 05:39 – 08:30
- Lithotomy & Health: 09:05 – 09:43
- Restoration & Naval Career Begin: 10:27 – 18:08
- Plague & Fire Accounts: 19:13 – 20:44
- Dutch Raid & Aftermath: 21:12 – 22:41
- Affairs and Scandal: 22:55 – 24:59
- Declining Health & Last Diary Entry: 25:30 – 26:32
- Later Career and Political Troubles: 27:47 – 32:24
- Library & Death, Diary Rediscovery: 33:12 – 34:47
- Publication History of the Diary: 35:05 – 36:02
- Famous Diary Moments & Pepys’ Character: 36:31 – 37:40
- Finding the Diary Online: 38:21 – 38:44
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
-
"[Pepys] has been something of a recurring character on our show...we have either name dropped him or read bits of his diaries..."
— Holly Fry (02:58) -
"We may think without being sorted, that when we purchase six huge and distressingly expensive volumes, we are entitled to be treated rather more like scholars and rather less like children."
— Robert Louis Stevenson on censored editions, as quoted by Tracy V. Wilson (35:40) -
"Samuel Pepys...thought everything around him was interesting and worth noticing."
— Holly Fry (37:40)
Conclusion
Holly and Tracy’s discussion of Samuel Pepys is both comprehensive and peppered with the irreverence and curiosity that defines his diary. They capture Pepys’ complex personality—his ambition, flaws, humor, and remarkable candor—while also illustrating his unique vantage point amid the seismic events of 17th-century London. This episode is a lively, in-depth recommendation for anyone curious about the daily reality (and gossip!) of a time often viewed only through the filter of momentous history.